HIV 2020 Plan To Impact Florida

President Barack Obama is unveiling an updated national strategy Thursday to combat the HIV and AIDS epidemic that could have a big impact in Florida, which leads the nation in new HIV infections.

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The White House unveiled the first national HIV plan in 2010, with ambitious, measurable goals: reduce new HIV diagnoses, increase the number of youth with an undetectable HIV viral load, and reduce the death rate from AIDS.

There’s been positive progress on all those, and there’s been a drop in the number of women, heterosexuals and IV-drug users contracting the disease.

But the White House has missed targets on getting people to stay in HIV treatment and reducing homelessness for those with HIV. And the disproportionate impact on certain communities is getting worse, not better, advocates say.

“The epidemic among gay and bisexual men remains severe, with increases in new diagnosis, especially among young black gay men, where we see great disproportionate impact,” said Douglas Brooks, the director of the White House Office of National AIDS policy:

The updated plan has some new goals and will guide how seven federal agencies attack HIV and AIDS through 2020.

Collectively, the federal government spends $23 billion annually on HIV and AIDs.

Credit aids.gov/2020

Abe Aboraya is a reporter withWMFE in Orlando. WMFE is a partner withHealth News Florida, which receives support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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In 2013, Florida had the highest number of newly diagnosed HIV case rates in the nation.

All six of the large metropolitan areas in Florida -- including Tampa, Orlando and Miami-Dade -- reported more cases of HIV diagnosis than many states as a whole. If Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach were a state, it would rank fifth nationally in the number of new cases.

Florida insurance regulators will start reviewing health plans for discriminatory practices after three insurers were accused of charging higher prices for HIV drugs.

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation announced it will review 2016 plans available on HealthCare.gov in Florida for possible discriminatory practices in their coverage of all prescription medications, and will also limit patient cost-sharing of HIV medications to reasonable co-pays.

“She didn’t want to see me transitioning,” said Poison Ivy, who asked that her real name not be used. “It’s just so hard for her to notice that her grandson, someone that has loved her for a long time is becoming a woman.”

So Poison Ivy moved in with friends. Some of them don’t know what the 18-year-old does for a living.

Will Blair can describe his family in three words: southern, conservative, Baptist.

“I’m kind of the black sheep,” he said.

Blair was 17 and living in rural Lake County when he came out as gay to the grandparents raising him.

Last year, at 32, he had to come out a second time: as HIV positive.

“It’s hard dealing with letting the people close to you know,” Blair said. “Because some people, even the ones close to you, even though they’re talking to you and you hear the words coming out their mouth, you know that behind what they’re saying is judgment.”